Memory Verse Day 15: The Focus of History
(Lucas 24:46 NBLH)
"and said to them,’Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead’"
(Luke 24:46 ESV)
I’m still working on catching up after the weekend – so hopefully I can post both parts of this verse today. This is part 1.
Of course, Jesus is speaking here. And I guess it’s no surprise that Jesus gives one of the clearest, most succinct presentations of the Gospel in all of Scripture.
Of course, the apostles made it quite clear that they were teaching what Jesus had taught them. That’s why we have the New Testament. Jesus didn’t write a word of it directly – but He sent His apostles to give His teaching to us.
This is clear in many passages – even close by in Luke 24:48, and in John 14:26.
So to ignore what Jesus’ representatives told us is really to ignore Jesus Himself. So don’t go tearing out words in your Bible that aren’t written in red.
That being said, it’s very important to know what Jesus said and believed. At this critical moment, when it was time to summarize all of Scripture and all of history, what did He talk about?
He talked about one afternoon in a small province of the Roman Empire, when a Man was executed. He talked about a Sunday morning, when that Man rose again.
Why are we celebrating Holy Week? Why do we remember Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday? Why do we celebrate the resurrection every Sunday (why do you think we meet on Sundays? Because we don’t have to work that day?)?
It’s because all of history was heading toward that moment, and all of history will look back to it.
The sacrifices of innocent animals for sin, the prophets and their mysterious predictions of a suffering yet triumphant Messiah, the songs of King David that hinted at a resurrection, the family trees that were leading to one person that would save the world – it is written that the Messiah would come. And God kept His promise.